Raids by armed extremists have resulted into the closure of more than 3,000 schools in Burkina Faso, affecting thousands of students and teachers.
The Ministry of National Education, Literacy, and the Promotion of National Languages said that as of Dec. 31, 2021, 3,280 schools had been closed.
The figure accounts for 13.09% of the country’s schools or 511,221 students and 14,901 teachers.
According to a government spokesperson, Alkassoum Maiga, he stated that however, 205 schools involving 39,812 students and 1,099 teachers have been reopened and 25 schools have also been relocated.
In May 2021, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that closures affected 304,450 students, including 156,456 boys and 147,994 girls, and 11,068 teachers, including 7,259 men and 3,809 women, noting “a fairly turbulent security situation.”
According to the Human Right Watch, Burkina Faso has been the target of recurring terrorist attacks since 2015. After the first Burkinabe school attacks were recorded in 2017, the number and severity of these attacks have been on the rise.
School attacks and disruptions to schooling have reduced the quality of education provided and caused many students to fall behind academically in the West African Country.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that terrorism has also caused the internal displacement of more than 1.4 million people and food insecurity for more than 2.8 million people.
The President of Burkina Faso, President Roch Kabore in December 2021 fired his prime minister amid an escalating security crisis that has killed thousands and led to street protests calling for his ouster.